Exploring the south and Central of Morocco

Arrive at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport.   After completing the immigration process, you will be met and welcomed to Morocco by our representative. This is followed by assistance and transfer to the hotel in Casablanca. Your afternoon is for resting from your flights.   Overnight stay at your hotel (Hotel, Casablanca, 01 night)

After breakfast, meet with the tour guide for the sightseeing of Casablanca, the business capital of Morocco. Visit the interior of the Great Hassan II Mosque, Mohamed V Square, the United Nations Place, the Central Market, the Habbous sector and the residential area of Anfa.   On your way to Chefchaouen, you stop in the capital city of Rabat, the White Imperial city, for brief sightseeing. Sightseeing in Rabat includes the Hassan Tower, the splendid Mohamed V Mausoleum, and, if time allows, the Kasbah of Oudayas.   Independent lunch then departure to Chefchaouen to check in at your hotel. Overnight stay at your hotel (Chefchaouen, 02 nights)

Today you will enjoy sightseeing in Chefchaouen, which is also called the Blue City. It is a city high in the mountains of Morocco that has remained shut off from the world for almost 500 years. Now its labyrinthine streets decked in shades of blue are open to visitors. It is famous for its shrines and history.   The sightseeing includes Uta Hammam, the Kasbah, the Great Mosque (exterior only), the Medina and a moment of relaxation in Ras El Maa, the source of water and one of the prettiest places in Chechaouen. On this day, your driver will assist with guiding you for sightseeing. Your afternoon is free to roam Chefchaouen and its quaint atmosphere. Perhaps take a hike up to the mosque located high on the peak above the city. Overnight stay at your hotel

After breakfast, depart for Fes via the Rif Mountains. Stop for a visit of Volubilis to see the Roman Ruins. Volubilis was the Mauritanian capital, founded in the 3rd century BCE, became an important outpost of the Roman Empire and was graced with many fine buildings. Extensive remains of these survive in the archaeological site, located in a fertile agricultural area. Volubilis was later briefly to become the capital of Idris I, founder of the Idrisid dynasty, who is buried at nearby Moulay Idris. Continue to Meknes for sightseeing. Formerly known as the Moroccan Versaille, Meknes includes Bab Mansour, the most preserved gate in Morocco, Dar Jamai Museum and the old medina. The Dar Jamai Museum is a palace that was built in 1882 by Mokhtar ben Arbi el Jama'i, who, along with his brother, served as Grand Vizier under Sultan Moulay Hassan. The palace is designed according to traditional Moroccan architecture, decorated with sculpted and painted wood, carved stucco, and colorful zellij mosaic tilework. In addition to various rooms on multiple floors, it contains a large courtyard garden (riad) with orange trees and a menzeh (observation pavilion or platform). Continue to Fes. Check in at your hotel. Overnight stay at your hotel (Riad, Fes, 02 nights)

As the third largest city in Morocco, Fes consists of two old medina quarters, Fes el-Bali and Fes Jdid, in addition to the much larger modern urban Ville Nouvelle area founded during the French colonial era. The medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is believed to be one of the world's largest urban pedestrian zones (car-free areas). After breakfast, enjoy sightseeing in the ancient city of Fes. Start with a mesmerizing tour of the Medina, the old city area which consists of over 9000 small alleyways and passages. Some of the highlights include the Chouara Tannery, spice market, the Qaraouine University, Koranic schools, visiting craftsmen, and walking through the various souks; all of this unveils even more about Moroccan culture, history, and even cuisine. The Chouara Tannery is one of the three tanneries in the city of Fes. It is the largest tannery in the city and one of the oldest. It is located in the Fes el Bali, the oldest medina quarter of the city, near the Saffarin Madrasa along the Oued Fes. Since the inception of the city, the tanning industry has been continually operating in the same fashion as it did in the early centuries. The tanneries are packed with the round stone vessels filled with dye or white liquids for softening the hides. The leather goods produced in the tanneries are exported around the world. In the afternoon, catch a ride to the edge of town to visit one of the largest Ceramics production workshops in the Fes area as well as the famed gates of the Royal Palace. Overnight stay at your hotel

Departure for Erfoud via Ifrane. Located in northern Morocco in the Middle Atlas Mountains near Ifrane National Park, is the city of Ifrane, an oasis with verdant forests. Lakes, fountains and greenery in the city offer a breath of fresh air from some of the other busier and dustier cities in Morocco. During your visit, you will explore amazing landscapes. Independent lunch. En route, visit the Ziz River and a series of fortified villages. Check in at your hotel. Arrival in Erfoud. This is where you may want to visit a local fossil craft workshop. Erfoud is very known by its fossils and dates from the many palm trees found in the oases. Stop at Dar Gnaoua and listen to a brief performance of Gnaouan music. Traditionally practiced throughout Morocco and originating from the sub-Saharan region, Gnaoua music is a spiritual music at its roots, although popular maâlems (master musicians) are making the music quite mainstream. Headed by a maâlem with a group of musicians, the beats are repetitive, yet lively. Overnight stay at your hotel (Hotel, Erfoud, 01 night)

After breakfast, you will explore the ancient fortified town of Rissani and the ruins of Sijilmassa which was the famous capital of the old caravan routes in the 8th century. Stop for a visit with a Nomadic family in the desert for mint tea. This area is known for its marble encrusted with aquatic fossils which is then cut and polished in local workshops. Stop at a natural site of fossil excavation. In the afternoon you will be taken by 4x4 to the Merzouga sand dunes at Erg Chebbi, the edge of the Sahara Desert. Your stay here includes a camel ride into the desert dunes. This may be done at sunset or at sunrise. Watch the colorful sunset (or sunrise) over the dunes via camel ride. Check in at a Berber Deluxe tent in the dunes at Merzouga Luxury Camp. Overnight stay at your hotel (Merzouga Desert Luxury Camp, Merzouga, 01 night)

Departure to Ait Ben Haddou. En route, stop at the Todra Gorges near Tingihr. These gorges are situated on the remote east side of the High Atlas Mountains. The gorge has carved out cliff-sided canyons on the final 40 km through the mountains. The final 600 m of the Todra gorge are the most spectacular as the canyon narrows to a flat stony track as little as 10m wide in places with sheer and smooth rock walls up to 160m high on each side. The rock face changes color during the day, ranging from a rosy red to a dull tan. Independent lunch. Travel via Kalaa Mgouna in the Valley of the Roses. This ride will provide some of the most spectacular scenery of the south.  This is a fertile valley where roses bloom in profusion in the Skoura oasis and where a large part of Morocco's rose and rose water production occurs. Continue to Ouarzazate/Ait Ben Haddou and check in at your hotel. Overnight stay at your hotel (Ait Ben Haddou, 02 nights)

After breakfast, there will be sightseeing to enjoy in nearby Ouarzazate including the Kasbah of Taourirt. According to oral traditions, the kasbah was first built in the 17th century by the Imzwarn, a powerful local family. The structure is made largely of rammed earth and mud-brick and is among the most impressive and best-preserved examples of its kind. The bulk of the building has three floors and is marked by large square or rectangular towers at its corners, the exteriors of which are decorated with geometric motifs and niches, which is typical of the architecture found in the traditionally Berber-dominated oasis regions.  Independent lunch. Also explore the many souks that have many handicrafts available, such as pottery, wood carvings, rugs, and festive clothing. Afterwards, depart for a tour into the grand Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. This is one of the most intriguing red earth castles lining the ancient Route of the Kasbahs and the most spectacular fortress in the south of Morocco. It has served as decor for many films like "Lawrence of Arabia", “Jesus of Nazareth” and “Game of Thrones” among many others. Overnight stay at your hotel

Arrive in Marrakech and check in at your hotel. Later, take a visit to the souks, the winding streets and the Place Djemaa El Fna, the central square, with its magical atmosphere and non-stop entertainment, storytellers, snake charmers, fire-eaters and more. Overnight stay at your hotel (Marrakech, 02 nights)

After breakfast, there will be a half day city tour of Marrakech. Today we explore Marrakech, the second oldest imperial city known as the “Pearl of the South” including, the Koutoubia, Bahia Palace, Dar si Said Museum, and Ben Youssef Madrasa. First, a visit to the Majorelle Gardens also called Yves St Laurent gardens, the ancient walls of red surrounding Marrakech, then head to the palm grove, with about 150,000 trees, which extends over 12,000 hectares. Stop for independent lunch. The Dar si Said Museum collections includes a wide variety of objects, many of them from the southern regions of Morocco. Until recently the museum's exhibits focused on Moroccan wooden art and objects. Following its reopening in 2018, its exhibits focused on weaving and Moroccan carpets but the current displays may vary. Functioning today as a historical site, the Ben Youssef Madrasa was the largest Islamic college in Morocco at its height. The madrasa is named after the adjacent Ben Youssef Mosque. Historically, madrasas have served as centers for learning, worship and community interaction. In addition to teaching Quranic Tasfeer and Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic schools often taught a wide variety of subjects, including literature, science and history. The Ben Youssef Madrasa, in fulfilling these functions, was also one of the largest theological colleges in North Africa, reportedly able to accommodate upwards of 800 students. Overnight stay at your hotel

Very early in the morning, you will transfer to the airport to check in for your departing flights homeward. You will need to arrive at the airport in Marrakech at 0400 hours. Check with the hotel for a boxed breakfast made available for you. Air France AF #9407 departs Marrakech at 0700 hours (all four guests)